Exhibition Ways to Modernism at the MAK in Vienna – from 17 December 2014 to 14 April 2015

Josef Hoffmann (1870–1956) and Adolf Loos (1870–1933) were the most important architects and designers in Vienna around 1900 in the generation after Otto Wagner. They developed two contrary approaches to the expression of individuality and self-realization among modern consumers. Josef Hoffmann followed a revolutionary path that led to the creation of utilitarian objects and architecture as aesthetic products in an ever-changing array of new designs. Adolf Loos pursued an evolutionary strategy that viewed utilitarian objects and architecture not as art products, but as the discrete background for individual lifestyles. These two contrary mindsets represent fundamental interpretations of the tasks of modern architects and designers as well as different images of modern lifestyles of the emancipated citizen.

Exhibition The Norwegian Japonism at theJugendsilsenteret in Ålesund – from 26 September 2014 to 7 April 2015

“The movement that is now spreading from Japan across Europe”

This quote from the Norwegian artist Gerhard Munthe (1849–1929) refers to one of the main trends in European art from the mid-19th century through the early decades of the 20th century.

In 1853, Japan opened its borders to the outside world after 200 years of isolation. This lead to a cult of all things Japanese among European artists – a movement labelled as Japonism from the 1860s–70s onward. This Japanese-inspired art did not constitute a style as such, but greatly influenced a number of styles in European art. In the 1880s and 1890s, Japonism became a major ingredient of the Art Nouveau style. In Norway, Art Nouveau peaked in popularity in the years between 1890 and 1910.

This exhibition looks at the connections between the Art Nouveau style, the nation-building project in Norway, and the Japonism movement as expressed in Norwegian Art Nouveau. Starting with Gerhard Munthe, considered the leading proponent of Japonism in Norway, the exhibition highlights connections between Japonism and the distinct national character of Norwegian Art Nouveau in terms of technique, range of motifs, format, and choice of materials.

The Réseau Art Nouveau Network, as a network of cities aiming to preserve, study and promote Art Nouveau at a European scale, organizes the final symposium of its European project Art Nouveau & Ecology supported by the Culture programme 2007-2013 of the European Commission.

This one-day symposium, Art Nouveau in Europe: Visions and Revisions, will take place on 20 March 2015 at the Museum of Architecture and Design in Ljubljana.

Three international keynote speakers will talk on the past, present and future of Art Nouveau.
They will then exchange experience, knowledge and visions with Art Nouveau experts and professionals from the Network as well as with the audience during a round table.

The morning session will be followed by the presentation of results of the European project Art Nouveau & Ecology and the future challenges.
To conclude the final event, Penelope Denu, official representative of the European Institute of Cultural Routes, will award the RANN with the certification of the Cultural Route of the Council of Europe.

Travelling exhibition The Nature of Art Nouveau 2 in Aveiro – from 1 December 2014 to 27 February 2015

Organised by the Réseau Art Nouveau Network in the framework of the European project "Art Nouveau & Ecology" (2010-2015) supported by the Culture 2007-2013 programme of the European Commission, the exhibition comprises two identical concurrent exhibitions and has begun its journey to all partner cities in October 2013.

After Bad Nauheim, the exhibition The Nature of Art Nouveau 2 will be presented in Aveiro at the Galeria da Antiga Capitania do Porto, fifth step of its European journey, from 1 December until 27 February 2015.

This major retrospective presents for the first time the complete artistic range of the Darmstadt Artists’ Colony’s founding member Hans Christiansen (1866-1945). The many interesting facets of this renowned artist of art nouveau can finally be seen together in one large exhibition conceived by the Institut Mathildenhöhe and the Museumsberg Flensburg in collaboration with the Museum Villa Stuck in Munich and the Bröhan-Museum Berlin.

Hans Christiansen is one of the most important representatives of Jugendstil, the German version of the aesthetic revolution commonly called art nouveau. After achieving much success in Paris with his designs for the decorative arts, Christiansen was appointed in 1899 as the first member of the Darmstadt Artists' Colony founded by Ernst Ludwig, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine.

As part of the Artists' Colony on the Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt, Christiansen blossomed and excelled as a visual artist and designer, making full use of his artistic freedom in Darmstadt guaranteed by the Grand Duke. In the retrospective, many of Christiansen’s designs can be seen alongside the realized artworks giving insight into the versatility of the artist, who also staged elaborate fireworks and light installations. The exhibition covers all phases of Christiansen’s work from Hamburg and Paris to Darmstadt and Wiesbaden, and presents furniture ensembles, stained glass, jewelry, posters, paintings, drawings, textile art, ceramics, as well as hitherto unknown fashion and poster designs from the 1920s. A special focus is placed on the artist’s own house on the Mathildenhöhe that he designed for himself together with the architect and fellow Artists’ Colony member Joseph Maria Olbrich.

The retrospective features many previously un-exhibited works from the estate of the artist that now belongs to the Museumsberg Flensburg, as well as works from the Darmstadt Municipal Art Collection and loans from museums and private collections.

Following the first presentation of the this retrospective at Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt, the exhibition will travel to the Bröhan-Museum Berlin, followed by the Museum Villa Stuck in Munich and the Museumsberg Flensburg, where the show will end in the artist’s place of birth just before his 150th birthday.

An exhibition of the Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt Institute and of the Museumsberg in Flensburg in collaboration with the Villa Stuck Museum in Munich and the Bröhan Museum in Berlin.

The exhibition will then travel to the Bröhan Museum, Berlin (19 Feburary– 24 May 2015), the Museum Villa Stuck in Munich (18 June – 20 September 2015) and to the Museumsberg Flensburg (11 October – 17 January 2016).